Is It Legal to Feed Wild Animals?

By Brett Snider, Esq. on July 26, 2014 8:56 AM

When out in nature, you may feel the urge to feed any wild animals you might encounter.

However, as your legal guides through the forest of state and federal laws, we strongly encourage you to resist that temptation. Not only is this practice bad for the animals you feed, but your "kindness" by feeding wildlife can potentially lead to your arrest.

Here are some general rules about when it is and isn't legal to feed wild animals:

While the Humane Society of the United States cautions against feeding wild animals in just about every other capacity, feeding birds and squirrels in your own backyard is generally harmless. But that doesn't mean you can't get legally dinged for setting out a bird feeder.

In rare cases, certain individuals have been criminally pursued for ignoring court orders not to feed ducks. But in general, you're probably in the clear to toss a few crumbs at the local waterfowl -- unless signs prohibit it.

Feeding Wild Animals

If you're not feeding backyard birds or ducks at the local pond, you may be breaking the law by feeding wild animals. Even those who have been maimed as a result of illegally feeding wild animals have been criminally charged. Case in point: A Florida man who lost his hand to an alligator while feeding it in 2012 was also charged with a misdemeanor for illegally feeding the predator.

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